GEMOC ARC National Key Centre

GEMOC's teaching program aims to:

• provide undergraduate and postgraduate students with a broad, integrative understanding of Earth architecture and processes, bridging the discipline boundaries of geology and geophysics

• train undergraduate and postgraduate students in new conceptual approaches and the applications of advanced technology, including geochemical analysis techniques and the integrated field and laboratory use of geographic information systems (GIS)

• develop international links in teaching programs (especially postgraduate) relevant to GEMOC’s goals

• develop formal tailored course work components at postgraduate level which also can be packaged for distance education delivery and as short courses available to the mining industry

• enhance the pool of high quality geoscience graduates by restructuring academic programs to attract a new clientele

Highlights 2002

Curriculum Development

• Following the success of our new tailored problem-based learning (TPBL) unit GEOS116 Marine Geoscience, our foundation geology unit, GEOS115 Earth Dynamics, Materials and the Environment was transformed along similar TPBL lines.  The new format includes three parallel streams - lectures, case study workshops and traditional skill-based practicals.  The case studies are completed as group work projects and are modeled on real-life scenarios with the students adopting a role as part of a geoscience team.  The lecture and practical streams complement the workshops providing needed background information and geological skills.  Based on the success of the TBPL approach we will begin on a review of second and third year units in 2003-2004.

• The Bachelor of Environmental Science in Environmental Geology is aimed at producing professional Environmental Geologists equipped with skills for employment in both urban geology and the resource sector.  Although enrolments were not as high as expected in 2002, we will continue the program.  We foresee that interest should increase as students complete the new HSC unit, Earth and Environmental Science.

• The use of computer packages and web interfaces in Earth and Planetary Sciences is now a routine feature of content and skills delivery.  Both geology and geophysics units incorporate packages used by industry into classroom and field teaching.  Our portable computer lab allows students access to up-to-date computer software for use in both the classroom and field.

• Enrolment in GEOS224 Introduction to Field Geology increased in 2002 with 65 students attending the field course.  The unit is an introduction to traditional geological mapping skills and introductory GIS, with emphasis on the development of generic field and teamwork skills.  We anticipate a flow on from this, with increased enrolments expected in our second year units.

• We have begun a review of second year units and will be introducing a new unit in 2004, GEOS256 Field and Laboratory Studies in Geoscience.  The unit will be taught using our TPBL format and will include one student-initiated project that will allow the students to complete work relevant to their particular degree pathway.

Teaching Infrastructure changes 2002

• The existing aged XRD instrument was replaced using University equipment funds

•  Field equipment was upgraded

Geophysics teaching progress 2002

• Collaboration in teaching and research between GEMOC and Geophysics at the University of Sydney continues.

• The named degree, Bachelor of Geophysics, continued in 2002 after its inception in 1998 to increase the visibility of Geophysics.  It has evolved into the advanced geophysics stream in the Bachelor of Science degree.

• The Bachelor of Technology in Exploration Geoscience has a Geophysics strand initiated in 1999, streamed from second year level (see flow sheet in Appendix 6).

• Use of an extensive pool of GPS units for undergraduate (and postgraduate) fieldwork continued.  Subscription to time signal allows real time differential applications with mapping resolution of less than 5 metres.

• Extended implementation of new seismic, gravity and resistivity equipment for student field projects in exploration, groundwater, environmental and engineering geophysics.

• Equipment upgrades funded by Macquarie University over the last five years have resulted in an excellent array of new instrumentation.  Acquisitions include:

• GEOMETRICS G856 Proton Precession Magnetometer

• GEOSOFT, MODELVISION, EMVISION, ERMAPPER and Claritas software was either purchased or upgraded

• Seismic trigger cable modifications

• ABEM SAS4000 Resistivity System and a ABEM LUND system

The New Zealand field trip (GEOS 373) attracted 35 students in 2002.

Outcomes at Macquarie

Brad Bailey:  Gravity signature of the Moonbi and Bendemeer adamellites

Colin Carter:  Application of geophysical data to interpretation of the geological history of the Peel Fault Zone, NSW

Luke Milan:  Late Permian Volcanic rocks of the Ashford-Deepwater region, northern NSW

Valerija Murgulov:  Magma sources and gold mineralisation, North Queensland: a zircon-based study

Jamie Speer:  Geophysical and geochemical investigation of acid mine drainage: Kangiara, NSW

The following Honours projects are relevant to GEMOC in 2003:

Tim Parkin:  Disrupted flow in a localised area of the Georges River above longwall mining operations in Appin, NSW

Kimberley Chapman:  A geophysical and geochemical survey over the southern Tailings Dump at Captains Flat, NSW, Australia

Nick Bryant:  Geochemical and geomorphological distribution of heavy metals in the Molonglo River downstream of the mine at Captains Flat

Gemoc postgraduate students again had a high profile at national and international conferences through 2002, including the Goldschmidt Conference in Davos, Switzerland and the HSE Conference in Nancy.  Eloise Beyer, Will Powell, Sonja Aulbach and Guillaume Delpech received travel grants from the organising committee of the peak geochemical Goldschmidt Conference in Davos, Switzerland, to present papers; and Sonja Aulbach and Sonal Rege have received travel grants to present papers at the 2003 Kimberlite Conference in Vancouver.

International recognition of the high quality of PhD projects in GEMOC was also reinforced by the award of Eurodoc scholarships to Stephanie Touron and Guillaume Delpech to assist their research. 

GEMOC’s international exchange program with the University of Jean Monnet, St Etienne continued to grow, and there are three current French Government-sponsored co-tutelle PhD students.  Guillaume Delpech spent 3 months undertaking stable isotopic analysis at the University of St Etienne.  Stephanie Touron (in collaboration with the Universities of St Etienne and Clermont-Ferrand) carried out fieldwork in the Massif Central and also worked in the stable isotope laboratory at St Etienne.  Raynald Ethien is applying GEMOC’s Terranechon™ methodology to unravel the timing and origin of the silicic igneous magmatism on Kerguelen.

Macquarie

completed

Olivier Alard (PhD):  Trace element geochemistry and mantle domains, emphasis on PGE and Re/Os; IPRS with MUIPRA stipend (graduated 2001)

Kari Anderson (PhD):  Defining the APWP for early to mid Palaeozoic eastern Gondwanaland: paleomagnetic pole information from the northern Tasman Orogen; IPRS with MUIPRA stipend (completed 2002)

Elena Belousova (PhD):  Zircon and apatite geochemistry: applications to petrology and mineral exploration;  APA and sponsorship by Rio Tinto (graduated 2000)

Eloise Beyer (PhD):  Contrasting characteristics of Proterozoic and Phanerozoic mantle types; Field assistance from Ashton Mining (completed 2002)

Rondi Davies (PhD):  East Australian Diamonds: Characterisation and origin;  Sponsored by Rio Tinto, Kennecott Canada (graduated 1999)       (see Research Highlights)

Oliver Gaul (PhD):  Composition of the lithospheric mantle beneath Australia;   APAI collaborative with Stockdale Prospecting, CSIRO EM (graduated 2000)

Joanne McCarron (MSc):  Mantle xenoliths from Queensland and South Australia (graduated 1997)

Bertrand Moine (PhD):  The role of fluids in the genesis, segregation and crystallisation of intraplate oceanic mantle magmas: implications for crustal accretion; Co-tutelle with University of Jean Monnet  (graduated 2000)

Mark Pirlo (PhD):  Australian groundwater geochemistry; applications to heat flow and exploration;  APA and Queen’s Trust for Young Australians Award (completed 2002)

Shixin Yao (PhD):  Chromite as a petrogenetic indicator in ultramafic rocks;  Collaborative with Rio Tinto (graduated 2000)

Xu Xisheng (PhD):  The lithospheric mantle beneath eastern China; Formal exchange PhD, Nanjing and Macquarie (graduated 2000)

current

Sonja Aulbach (PhD):  Depletion and metasomatic processes in cratonic mantle; IPRS with MUIPRA stipend (commenced 2000)

Guillaume Delpech (PhD):  Isotopic characteristics of lithosphere processes beneath Kerguelen; Co-tutelle with University of Jean Monnet, IPRS with GEMOC stipend and EURODOC scholarship (commenced 2000)

Raynald Ethien (PhD):  Origin of differentiated magmas from an oceanic island: petrology and geochemistry of volcanic and plutonic silicic rocks from Kerguelen Island (Indian Ocean); Co-tutelle with University of Jean Monnet, St Etienne (commenced 2001)

Bin Guo (PhD):  An integrated geophysical investigation of the Hunter-Mooki and Peel Fault; IPRS with MUIPRA  stipend (commenced 2001)

Kathlene Oliver (MSc):  Depth and subsurface shape of the Dundee Ignimbrite (part-time, commenced 2001)

Jyrki Pienmunne (PhD):  A geochemical and isotopic study of Co-Ag-Ni-As mineralisation, Cobalt, Ontario (part-time, commenced 1998)

Will Powell (PhD):  Nature of the lithospheric mantle in the New England Region, NSW;  APA (part-time, commenced 1997)

Sonal Rege (PhD):  Trace-element geochemistry of diamonds (commenced 2002)

Stephanie Touron (PhD):  Geochemical fingerprints of the mantle beneath the Massif Central; IPRS with MURAACE scholarship (commenced 2001)

Esmé van Achterbergh (PhD):  Trace-element fingerprints of metasomatic processes in lithospheric mantle (part-time, commenced 1998)

commencing 2003

Steven Cooper (PhD):  Diamonds and mantle-derived minerals, NW Australia and South Australia

Valerija Murgulov (PhD):  Crust-mantle evolution and metallogeny, eastern Australia

A selection of GEMOC’s cosmopolitan postgraduate students.  Back: Will Powell, Raynald Ethien, Guillaume Delpech, Mathieu Choukroun, Valerija Murgulov; Centre: Sonal Rege.  Front: Stephanie Touron, Sonja Aulbach, Eloise Beyer.